Punam Sanghrajka

Giving a memory of somewhere to stop, breathe and unwind for a moment

Recently I discovered the beautiful art by abstract landscape artist Punam Sanghrajka. Drawn to her textured and layered work, Punam's signature style features blended colours, broad brushstrokes and textured marks (using fabric) to create a subtle movement, bringing the warmth, hope and lightness of the Kenyan skies into interiors. She hopes that each piece will trigger a memory of somewhere where the viewer can stop, breathe and unwind for a moment.

Let’s start from the beginning. What has been your journey so far and how did you get into the art world?

The beginning is a great place to start! I studied art at school (both GCSE and A-level) and completed a foundation in Art at Loughborough University. I went on to finish a degree in Graphic Design at the UAL: Camberwell College of Arts in 2003. It was after I finished my degree that my creative career took a halt as it was unfortunately very difficult to get an art / design related job as a foreigner in England (I was born and raised in Kenya). It took a while to find my feet, but I always knew I wanted to have creativity in my career in some way. I became a client services lead at a marketing agency, working with art directors, designers and creatives, solving strategic problems and then working with creative teams to bring the solution to life, visually. I met many inspiring creative souls and at the same time, learnt the value of excellent customer service, detailed financial planning and great project management.

It wasn’t until 2014 that my art career started again. Following a 10-year career in corporate marketing, my employer’s lack of support for part-time hours (as a new mum) allowed me to capitalise on the opportunity to channel my energy into creating skyscapes and bring my visual language to the world. I started painting again and launched a business while raising my son to offer me the flexibility and fulfil a long-standing dream.

Friends and family started asking if I would sell the paintings I was making and I was accepted into a local gallery where I exhibited successfully for a few years. I learnt how to grow my online business and I have been able to use my art practice to support a wide variety of charitable organisations. The rest, as they say, is history…

You have a very interesting signature style with storytelling layers in your work, could you take us through the process you take to create your art pieces? It starts with a rough idea - usually from when I’ve been out gathering inspirationwhether that’s a walk in local woods or a trip to the beach, it could even be through looking at old photos and looking through old work to see if there’s an idea I can further develop (I particularly enjoy these escapes into my previous work/sketches). From there, I create rough line sketches of the composition and flow of the texture and landscape.

Then I start looking into colour - over the years I've realised how much I’m being influenced by the seasons. In the spring and summer, I crave softer, lighter, brighter palettes, but in autumn and winter I choose rich, velvety, bold jewel tones. Once I have the palette, I start painting. Over the years, I have learnt to work in batches and will sometimes have 4 or more paintings on the go simultaneously. This allows me to create harmony in my work and I’m able to build up collections this way.

The first layers happen quite quickly, as I can work fast with acrylics. I lay down the main areas and create blends of colour to block out key areas - the sky, the sea, the land, etc. The other reason for working quickly is because I have very small pockets of time in between looking after my young kids, so learning to work quickly has been the key to moving forward.

Once I’ve blocked in the main areas, I start to bring in the darker tones and mid-tones where needed. Finally, I’ll add highlights. Each painting is different, some are complete in 3 layers and others need more than 10-15! Over time, I’ve learnt to trust my gut and stop as soon as I start to feel a slight uneasiness about adding more paint. I like to walk away from a painting for a few days before coming back to see if it’s really finished - I sometimes do this 2 or 3 times.

Who and what inspires you?

I wrote my dissertation on the impressionists, focusing on Monet. The freedom of the brushstrokes, his use of texture and the play on light are huge influences in my work. I also love looking at wildlife photography, especially Kenyan photographers as they connect me to home and bring the inspiration of the landscape to me. I have some very talented and generous friends who allow me to use their photos for inspiration. I look at sky photography on social media, following specific hashtags so I can see the differences and similarities between clouds, movement and colours around the world.

What is the concept behind your current work?

All my work is about learning to sit in silence for a little while. I’m hoping that by escaping into one of my paintings you can tap into the feeling that makes you feel calm, that moment when you sit back and say ‘wow’ to something amazing, perhaps a memory. Something that creates a sense of content, awe and wonder.

My latest body of work, called ‘a quiet adventure’, was inspired by a summer trip to Whitstable, my first ever trip to the Kent Coast. It was full of warm salty air, turquoise pools of water, cloudy days and the contrast of light against storm clouds. There were hints of sunshine breaking through the clouds and I relished that moment when the light breaks through, giving us a sense of warmth and hope, the happiness of feeling the sun kissing your face and stopping to savour every moment. It was built up from the excitement of finding somewhere new, the feeling of discovering a hidden gem and the pure joy in escaping into this newfound space, but going at your pace and adventuring at your leisure. We ended the year in Whitstable and I started the year with painting - the perfect end to a difficult year and the perfect start to a hopeful one.

What is the best advice you ever received for life and business?

Feel the fear and do it anyway. Running a business is hard work, being a mum is hard work and doing both can sometimes feel impossible! We come across all sorts of challenges in our everyday lives and there are moments when we truly feel scared about the next step. I felt all kinds of doubt and fear creep in over the years. But each time I have felt that fear, I made a plan, worked through it and moved forward.

I have made mistakes along the way and learnt some great lessons. I have also had great successes from having the courage to put myself out there. So, if there’s something you can’t stop thinking about, I’d say, feel the fear of realising it and find a way to make it happen.

What are your dreams, plans and aspirations?

I’m currently focusing on continuing my exploration of colour and texture. My work is moving into a more abstract realm and I’m really enjoying it. In terms of how I see my career developing, I’d like to continue to use my work to help people find inspiration and calmness in their everyday. Given that everyone’s journey is so different, I wouldn’t like to define exactly how I see the future unfold, I’d like to leave some of it open to new opportunities and grow with the business. Having said that, I know I would like to start working with more interior designers, as I find the design and commission process to be very rewarding, especially as I involve the client in the decision making too, so it feels like they were fully involved in creating a piece just for them.

Lastly, I would like to have a piece of art hanging in every corner of the world! I have managed to reach 6 continents and I can’t wait to keep spreading the calming abstract sky and sea vibes.

On a mission to bring back the traditional soap-on-the-rope to help combat out-of-control plastic consumption

interview by Karolina Barnes, images provided by Jutta Klee

When Jutta Klee, the founder of KLEENSOAPS, could not find a soap-on-arope that suited a seemingly simple requirement; affordable and sustainable with natural ingredients, she decided to do something about it. Her own experiences and frustrations led her to start Kleensoaps, with a mission to bring back the traditional soap-on-a-rope to help combat our out-of-control plastic consumption. Conceived to help reduce the use of plastic by ensuring that no soap is unused through a centred cotton rope, Kleensoaps redefines the classic idea of soap-on-a-rope to give a long-lasting, waste-free natural skincare product. Kleensoaps are all about feel-good experiences, they put a smile on your face, make your body feel beautiful and help preserve our planet. Here we chat with Jutta about her journey and plans for the future.

Can you tell us why and when you started KLEENSOAPS?

I have been working as a beauty and portrait photographer since I arrived in London from Germany, aged 21. On a regular assignment for WRAPLONDON I had the privilege to meet the most inspiring young women. Makers, chefs, writers, shopkeepers - all entrepreneurs. Working with these women and hearing their stories convinced me that life is all about being the person who does it, taking the risk to set up their own business. This was the fertile ground for the idea of Kleensoaps to grow.

In spring 2019, I was trying to find a soap-on-a-rope that suited a seemingly simple requirement; affordable and sustainable, with natural ingredients. Struggling to find one, I realised that this was the gap in the market I had been looking for. I booked myself on a soap-making course and was instantly hooked.

It’s always been about the rope! There are some great natural soap companies out there, but my experience with soap going mushy in wet dishes and chasing a bar around the bathtub one too many times convinced me that I had to make soap-on-a-rope cool again. My mission is to spread the word about soap-on-a-rope to a generation that’s actively looking for sustainable ways to reduce their use of plastic.

How important is sustainability to you? What kind of measures do you take to be a more sustainable brand?

Kleensoaps is all about providing a luxurious vegan alternative to plastic bottled shower gels. According to a 2009 Swiss study, the carbon footprint of liquid soaps is 25% greater per wash than bar soaps; liquid soap also requires 5 times more energy to create and 20 times more energy to package into a plastic bottle in comparison to its humble competitor - the bar.

All Kleensoaps packaging is recyclable and our labels are crafted from recycled coffee cups made in the UK. Our ropes are manufactured in Europe from recycled cotton thread. As Kleensoaps is growing, I am very conscious of also cutting down on hidden plastics in the supply chain, working with companies that avoid plastic packaging.

Can you take us through some of the benefits of the ingredients you use in your products and how important they are for our wellbeing and health?

The beauty of solid soap bars is that they have no need for added preservatives and are made with almost all edible ingredients. Lye gets mixed with plant-based oils and butter in the process of saponification, this turns it into glycerin, so you are just left with all of the natural skin-loving ingredients of our soaps. I make them with no animal products, no palm oil, no parabens and no synthetic colour or fragrance. Only telling you what isn’t in Kleensoaps is not going to do our soaps justice though. My star ingredient is the organic unrefined shea butter that leaves the skin plump and moisturised and of course, the essential oils which give the soaps their aromatherapeutic qualities. It is such a gift from nature that the essential oils in our soaps have the power to uplift or calm your mind, just by taking a shower.

What is your favourite product?

Tall Dark & Handsome is our bestseller and my favourite too. Equally beloved by dads, uncles, and husbands for the exfoliating coffee grounds, I just love the way the coffee brings so much stimulation, with the nourishing oils and butter leaving your skin rejuvenated. I always recommend customers to buy a pair, one smooth and purifying, another exfoliating and invigorating. A favourite combination of mine is Good Vibrations, a gentle lemongrass and pink clay soap, teaming up beautifully with Foot Loose, the exfoliating pumice soap made with poppy seeds and Himalayan rock salt.

What are your plans for the near future?

2022 is all about spreading the word. I’ve been so busy setting up the soap making process at our studio in Kent and keeping up with the demand that I’ve neglected the campaign aspect of Kleensoaps. I’ve decided to share my method via social media to encourage others to produce this fabulous product and raise awareness of its benefits. I would love to do workshops for teenagers educating them on what goes into skincare and make-up products to demystify an industry that has serious ethical and environmental issues. Crafting simple skincare products and learning about ingredients might even inspire them to become a maker. Our latest soap-on-a-rope Blue Velvet is a smooth, sensual, activated charcoal soap - a great example of how a greener choice can be beautiful, fun and luxurious. E

Website: kleensoaps.com

IG: @kleensoaps

Tatie Lou